Parents, students learn about lighter side of math, scienceAn elementary school in Virginia recently hosted an event for parents and students to learn about the fun side of math and science. Educators also highlighted activities they use during the school day, so that parents have a better understanding of what happens in the classroom. Participants used geometry when making pizzas and had an opportunity to interact directly with marine life. Suffolk News-Herald (Va.)
(3/11)

Teacher-led research drives use of classroom technologyTeachers in a Minnesota school district recently released some findings from a six-month study into the effects of using the iPad and other technology as part of lessons. The goal of the teacher-led project was to establish the ways technology use could most benefit students. Among the findings are that iPads have helped students who struggle with math and also have benefited reading instruction, as seen when a first-grade teacher used the tablet to record students and allow them to hear themselves read aloud. Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.)
(3/7)

Professional learning at your fingertipsDesigned by experts Diane J. Briars and Timothy D. Kanold, Common Core State Standards in Mathematics, Grades 3—8, shows you how to implement the CCSS for mathematics and drive learning results. You’ll find this online course packed with critical insight, plus the latest strategies and tips for raising student achievement. Enroll today!

Curriculum

Ala. school district boosts math requirements for graduationThe Mobile County Public School System in Alabama has adopted new graduation rules aimed at better preparing students for college and the workforce. Under the new standards, high-school students will take four years of math instead of four units, which some students were completing in two or three years and then graduating unprepared for college-level math, school officials say. AL.com (Alabama)
(3/11)

Common core presents challenges for some Calif. districtsSchool officials in one California middle school recently found that new assessments aligned with Common Core State Standards are more demanding than exams currently in place. The school administered the tests as part of a pilot to help work out kinks. Officials say some schools are ahead of the game when it comes to the common core, but others are still raising awareness about the upcoming changes and anticipate other challenges on what and how to teach common core math, as more districts shift to the implementation phase. The Monterey County Herald (Calif.)
(3/11)

STEM

Mich. district prepares students for tech-driven worldMichigan's Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district is using a recently approved $114.4 million bond, in part, to invest in the school technology necessary to implement online testing requirements being implemented in the 2014-15 school year. Among other things, the district will purchase digital devices for all students and make improvements to district labs for science, technology, engineering and math to prepare students for technology-driven jobs of the 21st-century. "This is the way of the future, it's the nature of the global world," said John Barrett, school board president. Observer & Eccentric Newspapers (Livonia, Mich.)
(3/9)

Mo. schools plan for end of School Improvement GrantsMissouri school districts are facing the challenge of continuing progress at struggling schools after the federal School Improvement Grant program ends this year. Schools have used the extra funding to buy resources, provide teacher coaches and pay for state oversight. Now, some schools are looking for ways to keep moving forward when the funds run out. "I don't want to feel like it takes money to move students," superintendent Tiffany Anderson said. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(3/9)

NCTM News

2013 Lifetime Achievement Awardees

NCTM's Mathematics Education Trust (MET) has selected Carol E. Malloy and James M. Rubillo to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for 2013. The recipients will be recognized at the Denver Annual Meeting and Exposition (Session #567) on Friday, April 19, at 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., in Centennial Ballroom F of the Hyatt Regency in Denver. Following the presentation, MET will be hosting a celebration, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., to honor our Lifetime Achievement and other MET awardees. This ticketed event will include a silent auction. All proceeds will support MET programs. The reception is sponsored by Forrest T. Jones & Company. Register today. We look forward to seeing you in Denver!

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